I’ve just managed to plough my way through my very first book by Sir Walter Scott, I had tried before and failed miserably and I hardly ever give up on books – it was The Talisman which felled me. So I was interested to hear a Scottish academic speaking on the radio yesterday as he had recently abridged Scott’s Ivanhoe, you can read about it here. Apparently he has cut it down to 80,000 words so that it’s more manageable for the modern reader.
I don’t know if it’s a good idea really as I don’t think I would feel that I had actually read a book by Sir Walter Scott if it has been gutted. I read The Pirate and I chose that one because I thought it would be a hard subject to make boring. I have to admit though that there were times when it was like wading through thick porridge with not a morsel of sugar or syrup to sustain me along the way.
I read it for the November’s Autumn classic challenge so I’ll be reviewing it on the 4th of February, but I will say that I felt a real sense of achievment when I got to the last page with no skipping or dodging of the slow bits. However I am truly thankful that I didn’t have to read Scott when I was at school!
Well done, Katrina! I salute you! I have absolutely no intentions whatsoever of going back to any book of Scott’s!!! I had to read his stuff at school and as you know just got crib sheets from the more dedicated so I could write the annual Scott Essay! Hated his works then, and after your description of wading through porridge, my decision was made!! I’m full of admiration for you sticking with him to the last page!
Evee,
It was just about grinding my teeth at times but there were some good bits too. You were so unlucky with your school, Scott was never mentioned at mine!
I love porridge but not without brown sugar! I will steer clear of Scott! Good job Katrina:)
Peggy,
It was a very slow start, like Green Shutters, I kept wondering when there was going to be any pirate action, but it had some good bits, eventually!
I’m not really a fan of abridged books, as like you I don’t think it can be the same as reading the ‘proper’ version, but if this gets people to read Scott then I’m OK with it. I read Ivanhoe a few years ago and was surprised by how much I did enjoy it. Yes, it’s long and detailed and Scott does use some archaic language, and writes very long, complicated sentences, but there are also some vivid descriptions and parts of it had me chuckling.
Maybe it helped that I didn’t have to read Scott at school!
Margaret,
I had always been told that Ivanhoe was by far the most readable of Scott’s books so I was surprised that that was the one which he chose to abridge. I think I will read it at some point just to see how it compares with The Pirate. I remember I loved the BBC adaptation in the 1970s.
I’m a bit squeamish about abridged books – it feels like cheating to me!
I have a copy of Ivanhoe that I plan to read someday – now I know to be prepared for boring bits.
Anbolyn,
It feels like cheating to me too! Fore-warned is fore-armed I hope. He certainly rambles but I’ll give Ivanhoe a go sometime.